Mine-car-door fastener.



E. H. OWENS.

MINE GAR DOOR PASTENEH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18, 1914.

1,1 14,510. Patented 00c. 20, 1914;

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EMANUEL H. OWENS, OF MOOSIC, PENNSYLVANIA.

MINE-CAR-DOOR FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 18, 1814.

Patented Oct. 20, 1914. Serial No. 857.381.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMANUEL H. OWENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Moosic, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mine-Car-Door Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to locking means for doors or gates of vehicles, particularly mine cars, and the primary object of the same is to provide a positively acting locking organization of simple and effective form which will serve both to lock the door or gate securely in place and also effectually reinforce or brace the said door or gate and at the same time prevent the rear end of the car or vehicle from spreading under load pressure when the door or gate is locked closed by the improved locking means.

With this and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed in preferred form.

In the drawing Figure 1 is an end elevation of a mine car body showing the door or gate closed and locked by the improved locking means, portions of the latter being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a body of a mine car and the end door or gate therefor illustrated as open and showing the improved locking means released.

The numeral 5 designates a vehicle body which may be of any form, but as the invention in its preferred application is used in connection with mine cars, the body as shown is that of a mine car and may be of any approved construction and embodies a rear open end 6 having a door or gate 7 arranged to swing inwardly and outwardly therefrom by hinging or pivoting the same at its upper edge, as at 8. The mine car body also has lower sills 9 projecting at their rear ends beyond the rear open end 6 thereof, and on these sills, in suitable bearing straps or analogous devices 10, a crank rod 11 is movably mounted and has opposite angular ends or extremities 12 carrying loose rings 13 in their free ends. The ends or extremities 12 are at right angles to the body of the crank rod 11 and are adapted to be turned upwardly in planes parallel with the opposite sides of the rear end of the body. At suitable distances above the plane of the sills 9, pins 14 are secured to the opposite sides of the end of the body, said pins being freely movable and having eyes 15 loosely engaging eyes 16 secured in the opposite side portions of the end of the body 5. Above the points of attachment of the pins 14 the opposite side portions of the end of the body 5 have rearwardly projecting downwardly extending or downwardly depending fixed arms or pendants l7, and thereon areloosely and slidingly mounted catch weights or gravitating members 18 having vertical bores 19 opening through the lower extremities thereof. The catch weights or gravitating members 18 are held on the pendants 17 by forming shoulders 20 at the lower ends of the latter. The above structure is duplicated at opposite sides of the rear end of the body 5 and serves to lock the crank rod 11 with its ends 12 elevated in a manner which will now be explained.

After the gate or door 7 has been closed, the crank rod 11 is elevated until crank bends 21 on opposite sides of the center thereof engage the lower outer portion of the said door or gate, and when the crank rod is in this position the opposite angular ends or extremities 12 are elevated or dis posed approximately in vertical planes and the rings 13 are then slipped over the pins 14 and the latter turned upwardly. Previous to turning the pins 14 upwardly the catch weights or gravitating locking members 19 are pushed upwardly on their pendants 17, and when the said pins 14 have been disposed vertically, as shown by Fig. 1, the catch weights or gravitating locking members 18 are permitted to slide down wardly on the pendants 17 and engage the upper ends of the pins 14, thereby locking the said pins against movement and holding the crank rod 11 in locking position by reason of the fact that the rings 13 are held on the pins 14, and when the pins are engaged by the catch weights or gravitating locking members it will be impossible for the crank rod to become accidentally released. By this means the gate or door 7 will be positively secured in closed position and the lower extremity of the door will be braced or reinforced, and likewise the sides of the body IVhen it is desired to release and open the gate or door 7 the catch weights or gravitating locking members 18 are pushed upwardly to release the pins 14 and the crank rod 11 is then turned downwardly into the position shown by Fig. 2 and the rings 13 withdrawn from the pins 14.

The improved locking means will be Very advantageous for the purpose for-Which it has been devised, and it will be understood that changes in the proportions, dimensions and minor details may be adopted without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. The cranbiuation with a vehicle body having a door hinged at one extremity, of a crank rod formed with angular ends carrying rings, pins loosely held on opposite sides of the door to engage said rings and also movable upwardly in vertical planes, and pendant devices secured on opposite sides of the door above the pins and provided with l reely slicing weight catches having bores opening through the bottom thereof to receive the ends of the said pins.

:2. The combination with a car body having an opening, of a door pivotally connected at its upper end and mounted to close the said opening, a rod having angular ends with rings therein mounted adjacent to the lower portion of the said opening, freely movable pins held by the body at opposite portions of the opening above the rod, and gravitating weight catches having bores opening through the lower ends thereof to engage the free ends of the pins after the latter have been inserted through the rings in the ends of the rod.

$3. The combination with a vehicle body having a door hinged at one extremity, of fastening means cooperating with the free extremity of the door and including pins loosely held at opposite sides of the door and adapted to be turned up in vertical planes, and pendant devices secured on opposite sides of the door above the pins and provided with freely sliding weight catches having bores opening through the bottom thereof to receive the ends of the said pins.

4. The combination with a car body, of a door therefor pivotally connected at its upper end, pins loosely mounted adjacent to the lower extremity of the door and movable upwardly in vertical planes at opposite sidcs of the said door and pendant devices secured on opposite sides of the door above the pins and embodying freely sliding weight catches having bores opening through the bottom thereof to receive the upturned ends of the said pins.

5. The combination with a car body, of a door pivotally connected at its upper end thereto and having a tree lower extremity, pins loosely mounted adjacent to the lower extremity of said door and movable upardly in vertical planes, and pendant devices secured on opposite sides of the door above the pins and provided with freely sliding weight catches adapted to engage and hold the upturned ends of the pins against movement and thereby secure the door.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesscs.

EMANUEL H. OlVENS. itnesses (iiEURGE P. ANonRsoN, PETER \Vnni.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G." 

